Under the Moonlight
by Maetro
Summary: A companion piece to By Moonlit Night. Same scene but from Rosie's point of view. Rosie/Carter romantic pairing. Rated T for adult situations but nothing graphic. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own these characters. They belong to Disney, and whoever else holds rights to them.

**Timeline: **Takes place while they are in Costa Luna before Rosie's coronation.

**Rating:** M for adult themes but nothing too graphic.

**Author's Note: **This is a companion piece to By Moonlit Night. It's the same scene told from Rosie's point of view. Each one makes sense as a stand alone piece but I think together they give a more full view.

I wasn't quite satisfied with By Moonlit Night when I finished it, there were some aspects of it that I felt needed to be resolved or examined more fully and I think that this piece does that.

**Author's Note** Part 2: I've received a lot of support and encouragement from the other stories I've posted on this board and I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to those of you who take the time to comment. Your replies mean the world to me.

**Under The Moonlight**

Rosie's future had been laid out for her from the moment she was born. She had been groomed to take the throne since she was a little girl. Her mother, her father, aunts, uncles, older cousins and an assortment of familial advisors had worked hard to ready her for what awaited her.

Her life was different from other girls her age. While her peers had gone to school, she had worked with tutors. While they had gone to dances, she attended balls. They hung out with their friends, she spend time with staff and servants. She had accepted this different life. She embraced her role because she knew that, with it, she would be able to do many great things for her country. She had never rebelled. Had never felt stifled by the weight of her responsiblites. Until now. It was two days before her coronation and all Rosie could think about was the girl sleeping peacefully on the bed across the room. Carter Mason. Her best friend. In a very short period of time Carter had become one of the most important people in her life. She didn't want to lose her.

Being away from her mother had been hard. Being away from Carter had been harder.

"Hey," a soft voice sounded in her ear as a pair of arms slid around her waist. "I thought things were better now."

Even through her tears, Rosie could feel her body respond to the other girls familiar touch. As Carter's chin came to rest on her shoulder and Rosie leaned back into the embrace she became aware of every point of contact between them, of the way Carter's warm breath drifted across her cheek and of the way their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly. Her senses shifted into hyper awareness and she struggled to keep her voice even and steady as she replied.

"They are," Rosie whispered, her voice sounding hoarse even to her own ears. She hoped that Carter would just take it as a side effect to her tears.

She swallowed hard as Carter tightened her hold around her waist and hugged her closer.

Feeling a little bit guilty, Rosie reached up and laid her arms over Carter's, holding them in place. "I am glad to be with my mother again. And to know that she and my country are safe. But now all I can think about is how much I am going to miss being in Louisiana with you. I do not understand how how my heart can be in two places."

She felt her heart speed up as she waited for Carter's reaction, wondering if she had said to much. Her feelings for Carter had become confusing. Sometimes she worried that she gave too much away when she said things like that.

She heard Carter swallow audibly and felt her heart seize painfully, certain that this time she had said too much, that she had crossed the fine line between friendly affection and whatever this was that she was feeling that made her heart pound and took her breath away whenever Carter walked into the room.

She waited, barely breathing, for Carter to pull back and was suprised when the other girl simply pressed a kiss to the top of Rosies's head and hugged her close. Relief coursed through her and Rosie squeezed her hand and let her head fall back against Carter's shoulder.

They stood like that for a long while. Rosie's tears slowly subsided and she knew that she should pull away. She did not want to though. And Carter did not seem to mind. Her arms remained firmly around Rosie's waist, holding her tightly in place, her fingers stroking the back of Rosies's hand in a light, probably unconscious gesture.

"Thank you, Carter," Rosie whispered, turning her head to brush a kiss against the side of Carter's face. A perfectly acceptable gesture between friends, she had been slightly suprised to learn. It was not something she let herself do often, but sometimes when these feelings got too intense she had to do something to ease them. And Carter received the attention willingly.

She had been surprised the first time Rosie had brushed a gentle kiss against her cheek. This had been a few weeks ago, when they were still in Louisiana, after the prom. Rosie had thanked Carter once again for her efforts, for risking her life to save her. They hugged and when they pulled back, Rosie had kissed her cheek the way she had seen some of the other girls at school do. Carter had blushed, and stared at her wide eyed then pressed her lips gently against Rosie's cheek in return.

It had been sweet and tender and not nearly enough for Rosie who realized in that moment that her feelings for Carter went beyond that of simple friendship. Even best friendship. She had fought to keep those feelings tamped down though. Carter was too important to her to lose if she didn't feel the same way. And the other girl had given Rosie no indication that she did.

Reluctanly Rosie stepped away but as she turned she found herself still within the circle of Carter's arms. It seemed that the other girl wasn't quite willing to let her go yet.

Maybe that was why she did it. Or maybe it was because she was emotional and exhausted. Or maybe she had simply grown tired of fighting it but the next thing she knew, she was pressing her lips against Carter's. A second passed. Then another. There was still a moment of chance where she could pull back and pass the kiss off as just another friendly gesture and then that moment passed and then they were kissing. And Carter was gripping her waist, pulling their bodies even tighter together and moaning against her lips. Shivers danced up her spine as Carter's fingers splayed across her back, sliding across the skin exposed where the hem of her shirt had ridden up. She tangled her fingers in Carter's hair, enjoying the soft, silky feel of it.

When they grew breathless, they pulled apart, and Carter buried her face in Rosie's shoulder. She felt each shallow, shaky breath her friend took as an exhalation of warmth against her skin. And then Carter was trailing kisses along Rosie's neck and Rosie's breath caught in her throat. And then Carter's hands were moving, sliding upwards along her sides, one coming to rest against her hip and the other continuing on until it was on her breast, kneading slightly as she kissed along the base of Rosie's throat. Her knees grew rubbery and weak and she gripped at Carter's hair, urging her on.

Abruptly, Carter stopped and started to pull away. "I don't.. I've never..." she trailed off and her eyes flicked downward and grew to the size of saucers when she realized the position they were in.

Rosie reached up and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "It's okay."

Carter took a shaky breath, and for one tense moment Rosie thought she was going to pull away completely but then she was peeling off Rosie's shirt, exposing her to the moonlight.

"So beautiful," she murmured, and Rosie felt a blush heat up her skin. And then her body was filled with a different kind of heat as Carter closed the distance between them and captured her lips in another kiss.

She was moving on instinct after that. She might be inexperienced, but her body knew what it wanted. She wanted to touch Carter. She wanted to taste her.

They wasted no time shedding the rest of their clothes and tumbling together onto her bed. The feeling of Carter's skin against hers was enough to make her head spin. She let her hands course over Carter's body. She let her mouth traverse along the contours of her neck and shoulders and down. She took note of the way the muscles of Carter's stomach twitched under the pressure of her lips and the soft, almost mewling sound she made when Rosie moved inside her.

It was like a completion she had not even known she had needed. She could not believe she had lived her whole life without ever knowing this feeling. And she knew that she wouldn't be able to go on living without it.

Rosie had grown up on fairy tales about true love and soul mates and she had wanted to believe but had not truly been able to until now. Carter was her soul mate. It all made sense now. And even if it had taken her awhile to realize it was now ingrained so deeply inside her that she knew it to be true.

"Hey," Carter whispered faintly.

Rosie glanced down at her and smiled softly.

"You okay?" Carter questioned.

"Yes, I am fine." She was so much more than fine though. Fine did not even begin to describe what she was feeling.

"Are you sure? I mean...I didn't hurt you, or anything, did I?"

"No, Carter. You did not hurt me." She had heard that the first time could be painful for women but Carter had been so loving, so gentle that she had not been afraid. And that one moment of pain was lost in the overwhelming pleasure, physical and emotional, of the experience.

"So, then it...was it...good? For you?" she asked softly.

"It was amazing," Rosie said breathlessly.

"Really?"

"Yes. Really."

"Oh. Good," she murmered. "So, you're not sorry we, y'know."

"No. Of course not," Rosie answered, unable to believe that she would even ask that. Unless Carter was sorry? She took took a moment to examine her friends words. No. That wasn't regret Rosie was hearing in her voice it was...fear. Guilt filled her as she glanced down at her friend and asked, "is that what you were worried about, that I thought we had made a mistake?"

Carter nodded, unable to meet Rosie's eye.

"Oh, Carter." Rosie squeezed her tightly. "I am sorry if I made you think that. What did make you think that?" she asked hesitantly.

"You looked like you were about to cry," Carter mumbled,

"Tears of happiness," she whispered. "I never imagined how wonderful it would feel. I never knew a kiss could be so powerful. Or how making love could be so special. I am...overwhelmed. I love you, Carter Mason."

"I love you too, Rosalinda Fiore" she replied her eyes finally finding Rosie's as she tilted her head up for a kiss.

Like it? Hate it? Let me know.


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